Creating a way of living each day, still including travel tales, and appreciation of places, events, and cultures, but also thoughtful examination of life and all that entails.
I welcome any and all questions, comments, arguments, refutations, criticisms... sea stories..

Sunday, March 08, 2009

Life is..

With Rancher Bob back my cow caretaking duties may have lessened, but other projects seem to crop up on his ranch as always happens on any ranch or farm. I am often compelled to participate since I am taking advantage of his generosity in allowing me to place my caravan on his place while I build my U-house.

Though I have been less than motivated for some days, in no small part by the wind which has been howling day after day here (giving hope to the wind generator I want to build), I have been sucked into some planting projects, including planting raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Easy enough since we used the augur on the tractor to dig the holes.. but these morphed into removing some trees for Rancher Bob's wife, who well, hm.. well.. is let us say, less than appreciative of others. I really hate to mention it, but it adds to the tale when you understand the length's to which Rancher Bob goes to to make life easy for his wife. And it applies to the story of today..

But first just a very quick aside.. I am NOT anti-woman in any fashion. I love women and I respect women just as I do any individual. Okay maybe I love women more.. :)

Okay.. that said, after doing the planting, we decided to take down some limbs which have for years made the flower gardens of RB's wife shaded. She had been "asking" for these limbs to be removed, and so wanting to make Bob's life easier I reminded him of this. We get out there, and I climb up the ladder with my running chain saw and proceed to take down a long thick (7-9inches in diameter) limb from a pecan tree. The limb gradually drops at the end to the ground so thinking I am safe to allow the limb to fall down I cut the rest of the way through the limb. It does not drop.. it leaps towards me.. hits me in the chest nearly knocking me off the ladder, where I am still holding the running chainsaw..

Fortunately as many of you know, I have spent two decades on ladders doing painting and remodeling, so I am able to take the blow to the chest from this several hundred pound limb, and shift my weight and grip so that fortunately both I and the ladder stay upright. I take a couple of steps down, hand the running saw to Bob, then make my way down carrying this limb which outweighs me by at least a factor of two.. On the ground and full of adrenaline I check my injuries.. Thankfully I have suffered only the removal of skin for about half of the length my torso which has already scabbed by the writing of this, and quite likely some deep bruising which will show over the next few days. It really could have beem much worse.

I was hesitant to mention this, but a friend said I should blog on it, and so here it is. I will try to get up some photos of the limb, now cut down into pieces I hope to use on my home in vengeacnce if nothing else.. :)

Rancher Bob's wife response at seeing the injuries incured because of her wishes? A mumbled "oh" while never stopping in her channel surfing..

Sadly even in rural areas there are those who just refuse to be in tune with what is right or who get compassion for their fellow beings..

Still I wil lnot dwell on the negativity.. I could have been hurt far worse.. could have finally after all of these years ridden a ladder to the ground, and could have incurred a great expense in medical costs.. so despite some constant pain for a few days, I will still call this a good day.. I helped Rancher Bob on some thing which will make his life better and easier, and certainly he has helped me on other days so I count this as good.. challenging but good..

Oh, and he has another new calf.. two so far this year.. I will try to get photos of them as this too has been requested.. they are really cute little things.. I might have reservations about the industry but some of the specifics are nice to see.. This latest calf, a little black thing was runniing about with that joy o flife that I wish upon all of us..

"How to Overthrow the System: brew your own beer; kick in your Tee Vee; kill your own beef; build your own cabin and piss off the front porch whenever you bloody well feel like it." — Edward Abbey

"I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe — "That government is best which governs not at all"; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have. " — Henry David Thoreau (Civil Disobedience)

"If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go, let it go: perchance it will wear smooth--certainly the machine will wear out… but if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn." — Henry David Thoreau

"A man may be very industrious, and yet not spend his time well. There is no more fatal blunderer than he who consumes the greater part of life getting his living." — Henry David Thoreau